6 Ways to Stop Mindless Grazing BEFORE It Starts

We've all been there: It's 10:43 a.m., you have a project for work due at noon, and you're stuck. You can't think. But rather than plowing through it, you find yourself plowing through a half-eaten bag of pretzels instead. Welcome to the world of mindless munching.

"Everyone does it—it's the quintessential distraction," says Rebbca Schritchfield, a dietician based in Washington, D.C. "Problem is, it's never about hunger—so you end up gaining weight because you're not paying attention to what or how much you're actually eating." Luckily, Schritchfield has some easy tips to help curb your random snacking once and for all:

Listen to a dance-y song: Shaking it is optional, but hearing an energetic beat will help you feel more alive and thus more able to focus on whatever it is that you're trying to distract yourself from in the first place. Really!

Watch an Aziz Ansari clip: Not because he's hot (though that is certainly a plus). It's cause he's funny, and studies show that humor makes you feel calmer, which means you'll be less likely to stress eat.

Go Zen: Take a deep breath in and then a deep breath out. Repeat for just two minutes, and you'll be so much more relaxed and clear-headed, you won't even want a stale pretzel to chomp.

Brush your teeth or have a piece of gum: There's something about having minty breath that makes you want to preserve it and not stink it up with sour cream and onion nonsense.

Post a sweet Instagram pic: Not only will the act itself distract you from the fridge, but the validation you get may give you a surge of confidence you need to focus on the real issue at hand, whatever it may be.

Put on lip gloss: This one's twofold. One, it gives you something to do with your hands other than use them as food delivery vehicles. And two, it makes you less likely to eat because who wants to mess up freshly-applied gloss?!

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